Friday was another cold day. It was so cold I saw penguins migrating south (Yes, I know penguins live in the Antarctic!). We had another two-hour delay.
The only real issue we had today was that the base radio at one of our elementary schools went out. Apparently, ice on the antenna wire pulled it off of the antenna. They were still able to communicate using their handheld radios, so it wasn't a full-blown emergency.
Communications are very important, especially in school transportation. We are constantly communicating with schools about students, estimated times of arrival for school buses, and other details. Kids going to and from school create a critical transition period that can be made much worse without communications.
I spent over an hour in the morning online with a representative of VersaTrans, our bus routing program. She was showing us VersaTrans' capabilities for real-time GPS tracking, which included real-time tracking of school bus telemetry like speed, engine function, and maintenance schedules.
This brings up the concept of the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in schools. I am currently taking a course in Mapping and Analysis for Emergency Management for a Master's Certificate in Homeland Security. This course uses software called ArcMaps that takes various data and displays it on a map.
This technology is used all the tie, from weather maps to GPS systems. All use coordinate data to project locations in various ways. I will be doing a final project incorporating various data into a risk assessment process using ArcGIS that will graphically display the various threats schools in Hancock County. Using that information, these schools can then plan accordingly, making them safer for our students.
I will be doing this project in cooperation with the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency and its Director, Misty Moore. She gave me the name of the Hancock County GIS Coordinator, and I will hopefully collaborate with him to get the pertinent data. It is possible that this approach can be used as a model for other districts in Indiana, and even other states.
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